Vegan Tofu Stir Fry

I’ve become a vegan! Well at least for the next few weeks… From March 2nd through April 5th I am giving up meat and cheese and eggs and milk and cream and fish and butter and basically everything in life that I love. Why? Mostly for a little dietary reset. Since November, Julia and I have been on a holiday diet of frequent (like 2-3 times a week) indulgent meals. I’ve loved every second of it because I’m a fat kid at heart.

A typical day in this period started with half of a large container of yogurt with fruit and granola and a cup of coffee with half & half, beef jerky and maybe a Cliff Bar for lunch, and then anchovy pasta for dinner, with free pizza and donuts at work all the damn day. Not to mention whatever dessert I had after dinner. On an indulgent day, substitute our pasta meal for a dinner out with a couple drinks.

Yes, I’m a skinny bitch with a freakishly fast metabolism even at 31, who works out 15ish hours a week, but living like this still was taking its toll. I was so so so happy, and I really didn’t feel too different physically (I gained ~6lbs) but I felt weak for basically eating everything in front of me for 3 months. So I decided, now that the holidays are done, it’s time to heal and re-establish whatever minimal will-power I have. Going vegan for a short period seemed like an “easy” way to accomplish this. Not as hard as a gluten-free or sugar-free diet but I’d still have to think about everything I was putting in my mouth and plan my meals. Yes, many people have called me crazy or stupid for doing this but they’re so wrong.

If you look through the daily meal plan I described above you’ll notice a ton of dairy, and I’m probably underselling how much dairy I really consume because while I enjoy yogurt and milk and cream, I love baked goods. I would eat muffins and croissants all day everyday until I literally explode vis-a-vis Monty Python. It’s the sick crossroads of an addiction to sugar (diabetes runs on both sides of my family) and a deep infatuation with dairy. To put it more specifically, to me a twice baked almond croissant is an orgasm. Sounds hard to give up, and I thought it would be, but thus far I think I’m doing ok and I don’t miss baked goods like I thought I would. In fact I hardly miss anything at all besides cream for my coffee.

What has really made things work has been the experimenting in the kitchen – being vegan is exciting! It has been a total blast coming up with my meals and thinking strategically about how I can make sure I’m well-fueled for a trip to the gym or for work. This recipe which duh is such an obvious cliché vegan choice, is nothing like anything I’ve ever cooked before. Vegan tofu stir fry is on menus all over the place and I’m sure I’ve eaten it, but cooking Asian flavors is just not something that comes naturally to me. So this is not only my first time cooking with tofu, it’s my first ever stir fry and without ego I gotta say it turned out EXCELLENT. Stir fry is very, very easy to make, and just as easy to customize and experiment with. Fresh raw veg cooked over high heat, smothered in savory, sweet sauce and poured over rice or noodles is a simple and simply delicious concept for cooking. Well done, Asia.

Vegan Tofu Stir fry

Print Recipe

Vegan Tofu Stir Fry is a dish reliant on the fresh ingredients you put into it. This recipe is all about ginger and garlic. There are few smells better than diced ginger and garlic hitting a hot oiled pan, and the taste they lend to tofu is amazing. A mixture of mushrooms, broccoli, bok choy and bell pepper give this dish an ideal mix of colors and textures. Serve over rice or noodles.

Vegan Tofu Stir Fry is a dish reliant on the fresh ingredients you put into it. This recipe is all about ginger and garlic. There are few smells better than diced ginger and garlic hitting a hot oiled pan, and the taste they lend to tofu is amazing. A mixture of mushrooms, broccoli, bok choy and bell pepper give this dish an ideal mix of colors and textures. Serve over rice or noodles.

Drain your tofu and pat dry with paper towels and firm even pressure. Set aside to rest for 10-15 minutes.

Delicately cut your tofu into 1 inch cubes and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake for 40 minutes at 400 degrees, flipping the tofu half way through.

The Stir Fry

Mix together the hoisin, vegetable stock, and soy sauce in a bowl and set aside for later use.

Over medium high heat, preferably in a wok but a normal skillet will do, toss the onion and carrot in oil. Stir or toss consistently for even cooking for 2-3 minutes or until you can easily break an onion with a wooden spoon.

Add the bell pepper and continue to stir for another 2 minutes.

Add the mushroom and the broccoli. Continue to stir. If mixture seems too dry add a bit more oil.

After another minute or so, add the garlic and ginger and toss the wok or skillet thoroughly for even distribution. Cook for about another 2 minutes while constantly stirring.

Add the sauce you set aside from before. Coating the contents of the pan as evenly as possible. Allow to simmer for about 30 seconds.

Add the tofu and bok choy and stir until liquid begins to reduce. Remove from heat and serve over your favorite rice or soba noodles with siracha.

Recipe Notes

The key with cooking stir fry is a keeping the contents of your pan or wok moving constantly to prevent burning and sticking. If any component burns, the whole dish will be ruined so you want to cut your ingredients before you begin to cook, as well as gameplan which veggies need to be dropped into the pan first. The vegetables that take the longest to cook need to be added earlier.

Almost any vegetables can be used. Choices beyond the ones I've used include eggplant, snow peas, green beans, chopped asparagus, kale, and chard. Tomatoes, zucchini, and squash are also great options for a stir fry. As always, be creative and cook with ingredients you already enjoy eating.

This recipe was awesome. The tofu was perfect and I’m now going to make tofu EVERYTHING. I used all the same veggies above except less of some and more of others, plus chicken broth instead of veggie because that’s what I had. I will definitely make it again and switch out veggies. :-)

Yay you liked it! I’m so glad! And I’m happy the tofu was goood. If you try any amazing veggie combos let me know. We had it with soba noodles instead of rice and used asparagus and spinach and it was amazeballs.